NBA lets players send message

Here’s some news: The NBA is going to let its players customize the back of their jerseys.

Instead of sporting their last names, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are collaborating to allow players the opportunity to highlight a charity, a message of social justice, or the name of another person.

Here’s the idea in action: If all 15 players on a team wanted to use the back of their jerseys to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor or any other Black people in the United States who have fallen victim to senseless, race-based acts of police brutality, they could very well do so.

Is it gimmicky? Sure. But it’s not more gimmicky than the wave statements admonishing racism and police brutality from every pro sports franchise in America. The NBA is, in effect, giving its players the power to choose how they want to protest in play.

It’s by no means the end of the road. It is, however, a start.

There was concern, of course, that a return to play would cause a distraction, diverting attention from social justice work to the latest game’s box score.

If players are running with the names of fallen heroes on their back, the issue becomes impossible to ignore.